They Were Her Property: White Women as Slave Owners in the American South

In They Were Her Property, historian Stephanie E. Jones-Rogers has written a book that bridges women’s history, the history of the South, and African American history. Rather than land, women typically inherited slaves, who were their primary source of wealth. White women actively participated in the slave market, profited by it, and used it for economic and social empowerment. Jones-Rogers presents a narrative that prompts a rethinking of women’s history and the history of slavery. A book signing follows the program.